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8.9 Direction complements
Unlike prepositional objects, place complements can vary the PREPOSITION used, e.g. Die Lampe steht auf dem Tisch/im Regal/unter dem Fenster/zu Hause. The prepositions that form part of place complements usually belong to the group of prepositions used with either the accusative or the dative case (e.g. an, auf, unter, see section 5.3). Place complements need the DATIVE because they show position:
Er wohnt seit Januar in diesem Haus. He has been living in this house since January. Paris liegt im Norden Frankreichs. Paris is in the north of France. Sie hielt sich in einem Dorf auf. She was staying in a village.
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Common verbs used with a place complement are:
sich aufhalten stay
parken
sich befinden be (situated) sitzen park sit
bleiben hängen leben liegen
stay, remain stattfinden take place hang
stehen
stand
live
übernachten spend the night lie, be lying wohnen live, dwell
NB Most of the above verbs (but not sich aufhalten, sich befinden, wohnen) can alternatively be used without any object or other complement (sentence pattern A), in some cases with a variation in meaning. Compare Er lebt in Ulm (‘He lives in Ulm’), and Er lebt (‘He’s alive’). NB bleiben can instead be used with a PREDICATECOMPLEMENT, see 8.10.
Verbs of motion typically have a phrase with them which indicates where something is going or being put or taken. This is a DIRECTIONCOMPLEMENT (sentence patterns K and L).
Direction complements look like adverbials, but whereas adverbials are optional, direction complements are closely linked to the meaning of the main verb. This affects their place in the sentence (see section 9.8).
Unlike prepositional objects, direction complements can vary the PREPOSITION used, e.g. Sie geht auf den Turm/ins Konzert/nach Hause. The prepositions that form part of direction complements usually belong to the group of prepositions used with either the accusative or the dative case (e.g. an, auf, unter, see section 5.3). Direction complements need the ACCUSATIVE because they convey directional movement. Most verbs expressing the idea of going somewhere have the direction complement as their only complement (sentence pattern K):
Das Mädchen ist in den Bach gefallen. The girl fell into the stream. Sie kam in das Zimmer. She came into the room. Er fuhr gestern Abend nach dem Kartenspiel He drove home last night after the card game. nach Hause.
